16 November 2014

Tufty!

When I was hunting for ideas for my Nordic themed month, I
typed “Danish crafts” into Google images, and came across the work of the Danish
designer Povl Kjer, who makes lovely, quirky furniture including the Rocking Sheep, and the Tuft stool which my miniature ones are inspired by. The Tuft stool is based on the tufts of vegetation
on Danish meadows, and looks like a hairy creature.

To make my miniature version, which I'm calling Tufty, you’ll need:

Kebab skewers

A circle of wood or thick card

Fur fabric

Wooden bead

Wadding or stuffing

Glue

1. Tape three kebab skewers together and rub the pointy end on sandpaper to make it slightly flat.

2. Cut the pointy ends of the kebab skewers, to between x and y cm in length (all the same length!).

4. Glue some stuffing material to the top of the wooden or
card circle.

5. Glue the kebab skewer pieces to the bottom, equidistant,
and at a slight outward angle. Use hot glue for this - allow the glue to set slightly before applying the skewer pieces, so that they will hold in position at an angle. Once the glue has fully set, add some more to ensure it is secure.

6. Place the fur fabric on top, and work out where the
“nose” should be. Sew the bead on at this point on the fabric.

7. Place the fur fabric in position, and glue or sew at the bottom.

If you don’t have fur fabric you could try crocheting a
cover instead, or wrapping some fuzzy wool round and round over it.

These make a fun ornament, or can be used as a miniature seat
in a dollshouse (not for children, though, as the pointy legs could be pulled off!). I think a whole flock of them in different colours and heights
would look really cool!